WNC/08/1/08

Outreach and Communications Strategy 2007

Strategic Aims

1.To effectively strengthen existing partnership base whilst focusing on under-represented groups.

2. To ensure that work supports WNC’s core remit, by actively promoting the work of the WNC and its activities to raise its profile and to communicate its views to others.

3.To develop and actively engage wide-ranging, diverse, and representative stakeholders.

Our Vision
  • A world where all women can express their needs and priorities and where Government listens and acts so that the needs of all women are at the heart of Government policy.
  • A world in which every human being is respected and is able to achieve their potential, living free from harm and discrimination.

Our Mission
  • Support, advise and encourage the women’s sector to enable all women’s voices to be heard effectively;
  • Act as a conduit for all those voices, in order to both advise and to hold Government to account;
  • Promote women’s equality;
  • Ensure the views and experiences of as many women as possible are represented to Government to promote women’s equality and change;
  • Ensure that where possible, women’s opinions are communicated to Government so that they can be taken into account when laws are made and policies decided;
  • As far as possible, seek the views of and empower, socially excluded and marginalised women; and
  • Disseminate messages from Government across the women’s equality sector.

Unique Selling Point

The WNC is the only independent advisory body established to provide a bridge between women’s organisations and the UK Government. It provides a route for women’s organisations to communicate effectively to Government, but also provides an easier way for Government to disseminate messages to and consult with women’s organisations. / Stakeholders
  • Women;
  • Partners;
  • Other women’s organisations;
  • Ministers for Women and Parliament; and
  • GEO and OGD officials

Our Values

Accessibility
  • Transparency, openness
  • Confidentiality
  • Learning
  • Integrity
/ Equality And Diversity
  • Equal opportunity and anti-discrimination
  • Diversity as a positive force
  • Inclusivity
/ Respect
  • Value the lived experience of women
  • Value grass-roots experience
  • Respect for all
/ Empowerment
  • Encouraging development
  • Enabling and participatory
  • Innovative and creative

Strategic Aim 1: To effectively strengthen existing partnership base whilst focusing on under-represented groups.

OBJECTIVE / ACTIVITY / TIMELINE/ WHO / ESSENTIAL/ DESIRABLE/NON-ESSENTIAL / SUCCESS INDICATORS
1) To analyse WNC’s partnership base to identify under-represented groups and to ensure ongoing accuracy of database
2) To maintain and build relationships with under-represented groups.
3) To work with information gained above to target under-represented regions (e.g. North East, South West) and sectors of the community (e.g. younger women, women with disabilities, minority women and transgender women) to encourage them to become partners.
4) To ensure outreach activities are conducted in Wales, Scotland and N. Ireland and that Partners in each, feel their concerns are being heard and shared.
5) To engage Commissioners in partnership activities throughout the year. / By:
  • Producing a Needs Analysis report. To analyse our current database to identify gaps in representation.
  • To clearly categorise partners into regions, interests and alphabetically, to help with targeting activity.
  • Ensure database is accurate, reliable and updated regularly.
  • Cross referencing with updated WORGS
By:
  • Initiating and sustaining regularity of contact is designed to nurture relationships and build trust. This would increase the
quality of interaction and enable effective communication via
telephone, meetings and other means.
  • Maintaining an up to date website and newsletter to ensure better communication.
  • Ensure Partners are aware of WNC’s Principles of Partnership and other important documents.
By:
  • Holding events / seminars for specific groups in targeted regions, as recently in Wales and with the ‘Listening to Muslim Women Consultation’.
  • Ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation procedures are followed, reasons new Partners are successfully recruited, i.e. through events or website etc.
  • Aim to hold at least two events in identified regions of England to target gaps in partnership base.
By:
  • Holding at least one event in each of the Nations every year.
  • Further ongoing activity to be conducted to identify how successfully WNC’s aims in relation to devolved nation strategy.
  • Consider introducing Newsletters for each of the Nations.
  • Annual meeting held with Welsh Equalities Minister
  • Possible visits to Northern Ireland and Scotland to meet Equalities Ministers
  • Ensure devolved nation representation on Working Groups
By:
  • Working with Commissioners to arrange events on issues of their expertise and / or in their localities, e.g. Baroness Gale in Wales, Bronagh Hinds in Northern Ireland, Professor Kelly in the VAW sector and Sabin Malik on the Migration and Asylum sub-group.
  • All Commissioners to agree to recruit a minimum/set number (10?) of new Partners each year.
  • Commissioners to work with cross-party political representatives, for example by inviting to events and meetings with Partners for support on specific issues.
  • Commissioners to keep Directorate informed of progress.
/ March 2008.
Mutanser Ashraf.
20th Feb 2008.
Mutanser Ashraf, Bethan Walker, Maria Turay and Polly Trenow.
March 2008 onwards.
Mutanser Ashraf.
March 2008.
Mutanser Ashraf.
Ongoing.
Mutanser Ashraf.
Ongoing – Spring Newsletter new format.
New website mid March?
Mutanser Ashraf and Bethan Walker.
Ongoing.
Mutanser Ashraf.
After events.
Mutanser Ashraf.
Joint event with Equality South West – Taunton, 30 April 2008.
Mutanser Ashraf.
Ongoing (2008 meeting held on Jan 30th)
Joyce Gould, Sue Green and Anita Gale in Cardiff.
Mutanser Ashraf and Bethan Walker. / Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Essential.
Desirable.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential?
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Essential. / Gaps in Partnership base identified correctly.
Accurate and reliable database frequently updated.
Produce regular ‘Women’s Organisations in the
United Kingdom' directory of WNC Partner organisations.
Website loaded with partner directory by region, interest, and alphabetically and emailed to Partners. (Hard copy sent to those without email).
Under-represented groups identified and events run to engage with, support and help build capacity
Increase in diversity of and numbers of women attending events.
Increase in total number of Partner’s UK-wide, as well as under-represented groups.
At least one event held in each of the Nations every year.
Met with Brian Gibbons, Welsh Equalities Minister,
also met Democracy Group including eleven Assembly Members.
Agreed number of events arranged and run successfully.
Increase in number of Partners recruited by Commissioners.
Events arranged for Partners and MP’s.

Strategic Aim 2: To ensure work supports WNC’s core remit, by actively promoting the work of the WNC and its activities to raise its profile and to communicate its views to others.

OBJECTIVE / ACTIVITY /

TIMELINE/

WHO / ESSENTIAL/ DESIRABLE/NON-ESSENTIAL / SUCCESS INDICATORS
1) Raise profile and promoting the work of the WNC by providing partners and others, accessible and useful information on areas of interest, such as Government Consultations etc., to obtain views and contributions, to feed into government policy.
2) To develop a new, modern, interactive website, to be fully functional by Spring 2008.
3) To continue to manage Ministerial meetings of the 6 O Group of women’s organisations.
4) To work to develop a new, modern ‘logo’ for the WNC.
5) To consider how the WNC may most effectively have a soft re-launch.
6) To represent views of WNC Partners to government.
7) All Partners Conference to be held every other year with defined objectives and diverse representation. Outcome of Conference to be clear, i.e. Report to be fed into Government Equalities Office and Ministers for Women. / By:
  • Developing an attractive, modern, creative and interactive website, enabling the facility to carry out on-line consultations with partners.
  • By revamping the WNC Newsletter so it is attractive, engages partners’ interests and is accessible, ensuring regular editions produced.
  • By attending partners’ and others’ events and seminars to network with other organisations.
  • Liaise with partner organisations to ensure they include a link to the WNC website from their own website.
  • By attending meetings of the Equality and Diversity Forum.
  • Ensure all WNC publications are current, revised regularly and available.
  • Commissioners to fully utilise Parliamentary links
  • Where possible, responding to challenging or incorrect articles in press by letters from the WNC Chair or Commissioners.
  • Ensuring WNC publications are available in a range of languages and in braille.
  • Providing presentations for relevant organisations e.g. Chevening programmes
  • Providing internships for individuals from the UK and abroad
By:
  • Identifying a suitable, modern, attractive and flexible design for the new Website.
  • Choosing a design which will be flexible to allow for online consultations with partners and others.
  • Content to be more relevant and useful to viewers.
  • Aim to have a Partner’s section providing specific information for partners.
  • A design which can be easily updated, but which requires the minimum of maintenance and is cost effective.
  • Request feedback on new website from Partners
By:
  • Agreeing regular dates for meetings between Private Office, WNC Chair and members of the Group.
  • By briefing the WNC Chair appropriately to lead these meetings.
  • To consider how best to expand this group to include under-represented groups to enable a representative voice to Minister.
By:
  • Canvassing views from Commissioners and Directorate.
  • By liaising with design companies to produce ideas for Commissioners to decide on an appropriate replacement.
  • To consider resource implication
By:
  • Views to be sought from the Board, but may include announcing news of our revamped website and production of the new Newsletter.
  • Producing a plan and timeline for re-launch, liaising with GEO colleagues.
By:
  • Forwarding partners’ views clearly and effectively to GEO officials through regular meetings, or through written communications, as appropriate.
  • To identify the ‘hot topics’ of each event and feed back to GEO and other stakeholders.
  • Feedback and views received from partners attending events and seminars are relayed to government to enable policy change.
  • Possible online consultation
  • Possible article to MPs about their involvement in WNC and their constituencies
  • Establish an e-list for Parliamentarians
  • Consider use of women’s Parliamentary radio
  • Consider piggybacking other women’s organisation events e.g. Trade Unions and Parliamentary women’s groups
By:
  • Consideration given to holding Partners’ Conferences outside London.
  • Options paper to March Commissioner’s meeting
/ March 2008
Leon Bond and team.
Spring 2008 Newsletter.
Changes to include feedback from Partners as appropriate.
Mutanser Ashraf and Bethan Walker.
Director or Deputy to attend.
Ongoing.
Mutanser Ashraf.
Chevening presentation on WNC work 13th February 2008.
Mutanser Ashraf and Bethan Walker.
January/February 2008
January/February 2008
January/February 2008
March 2008
March 2008.
Meeting with Ministers 19th February 2008 (and pre-meeting)
Prior to arranged meetings.
February 2008 onwards
Ongoing
March 2008. / Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Desirable.
Desirable.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Desirable.
Essential.
Desirable.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential.
Desirable.
Essential.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential. / Launch of new website.
Revamped Spring edition Newsletter.
Chevening presentation on WNC work 13th February 2008. Speakers from GEO, EHRC and Women’s Budget Group. Positive evaluations from attendees.
Positive feedback from attendees of 6 0 group meeting as well as Ministers.

Strategic Aim 3: To develop and actively engage wide-ranging, diverse and representative stakeholders

OBJECTIVE / ACTIVITY /

TIMELINE/

WHO / ESSENTIAL/ DESIRABLE/NON-ESSENTIAL / SUCCESS INDICATORS
1) To nurture long term relationships with Partners.
2) Provide appropriate information for stakeholders and promote links and awareness of the diversity of Partners. / To work with specific Partners by:
  • Where possible, ensure a WNC presence at Partners’ main events, i.e. Annual conferences.
  • To effectively utilise information gained from partnership forms to create links between Partners with similar interests and to encourage and facilitate where possible, informal networking and exchange of information towards feeding views to government.
  • Use leading expert partners to provide/exchange advice and information to other partners and at events.
  • Continuing to co-ordinate meetings of the 6 O Group with Ministers, ensuring that meetings take place regularly and the WNC is briefed to lead them.
  • Regular dealings with stakeholders
By:
  • Liaise with partner organisations to ensure they include a link to the WNC website from their own website.
  • Ensure Women’s Organisational Directory is updated regularly and available on WNC website and disseminated to partners.
  • Ensure hard copies are available for Partners and for other general requests.
/ 30th January 2008.
Ongoing.
2008 directory disseminated and available on website from 20th February- Updates ongoing
Mutanser Ashraf, Maria Turay and Leon Bond.
As above.
Ongoing from March 2008. / Desirable.
Desirable.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential.
Essential. / The visit to Welsh Equalities Minister in Cardiff on January 30th also included:
  • meeting with Welsh Assembly Members about WNC work.
  • meeting with EHRC Wales.
  • Meeting BAWSO (WNC Welsh Partner)
2008 directory disseminated and available on website from 20th February.

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